Scottish Government Debate: Supporting Young People to Participate in the Labour Market

Tom Arthur S7M-01838 That the Parliament believes that every young person should have the opportunity to realise their potential and participate fully in the labour market; recognises that providing young people with the best start to their working lives is critical to Scotland’s future economic prosperity; welcomes the fact that 95.7% of young people are going into positive destinations such as work, training, college or university three months after leaving school; welcomes the commitment to deliver at least 150,000 apprenticeships during the current parliamentary session; recognises the importance of ensuring that people receive the right support at the right time to progress towards and within work; welcomes the commitment to review employability services in order to maximise effectiveness of support; acknowledges that some young people face additional barriers to making successful transitions from secondary education and that targeted, person-centred support is essential to helping them overcome these challenges, and supports continued action to ensure that every young person, regardless of background or circumstance, is supported to achieve a positive and sustained destination in education, training or employment. Further details available for S7M-01838 Daniel Johnson S7M-01838.5 As an amendment to motion S7M-01838 in the name of Tom Arthur (Supporting Young People to Participate in the Labour Market), insert at end “; is concerned by figures indicating that as many as one in six young people in Scotland are not in education, work or training; believes that there is a need to simplify vocational qualifications, to create lifelong learning pathways and to support the development of flexible courses that can be tailored to individuals and businesses, and calls on the Scottish Government to draw up proposals to devolve funding for lifelong learning and skills to regional leaders to bring together colleges, employers and training providers, to ensure that people are equipped with the skills industry needs and that local communities share in the benefits of investment." Further details available for S7M-01838.5 Angela Ross S7M-01838.4 As amendment to motion S7M-01838 in the name of Tom Arthur (Supporting Young People to Participate in the Labour Market), delete after first “welcomes” to end and insert “; is concerned that thousands of young Scots remain detached from employment, education or training, despite years of Scottish Government promises; expresses concern that the Scottish Government has been unable to produce comparative not in education, employment or training (NEET) figures for all 16- to 24-year-olds in Scotland, instead relying on more favourable data from a narrower age range; notes that the Annual Population Survey indicates that one in six 16- to 24-year-olds in Scotland has NEET status; believes that a generation is being failed by a system that too often leaves young people without purpose, direction or hope for the future; recognises that work must be the surest route to financial independence and prosperity for young people, and believes that people should keep more of the money they earn and that every young person should have a clear pathway from education to productive employment, financial independence and economic security.” Further details available for S7M-01838.4 Iris Duane S7M-01838.2 As an amendment to motion S7M-01838 in the name of Tom Arthur (Supporting Young People to Participate in the Labour Market) insert at end "; agrees that the UK Government must act immediately to end age-based minimum wage discriminatory bands to ensure that young workers are paid a fair wage, and notes the need to establish a minimum standard for apprenticeships to ensure effective quality control and fair treatment for apprentices." Further details available for S7M-01838.2 Rachael Hamilton S7M-01838.3 As an amendment to motion S7M-01838 in the name of Tom Arthur (Supporting Young People to Participate in the Labour Market), leave out from first “welcomes” to end and insert “notes that, despite high rates of positive destinations, the proportion of school leavers entering employment has fallen; believes that the best way to support young people into work is to create a strong economy in which businesses can afford to hire and invest; regrets the decline in Modern Apprenticeship starts and the reduction in college-based skills training in Scotland despite continued employer demand for skills; questions the ambition of a target for 150,000 apprenticeships over the current parliamentary session, given that this is close to what the existing annual provision would already deliver; calls on the Scottish Government to reduce the cost of doing business, to expand apprenticeship opportunities and to rebuild vocational education, and believes that employability support should focus on helping those who face genuine barriers into work rather than imposing further costs and interventions on employers.” Further details available for S7M-01838.3 Liam McArthur S7M-01838.1 As an amendment to motion S7M-01838 in the name of Tom Arthur (Supporting Young People to Participate in the Labour Market), insert at end “; notes with concern that the number of 16 to 24-year-olds who are economically inactive because of health reasons reached 26,300 in 2024-25, more than double the figure recorded a decade earlier; further notes that the number of modern apprenticeship starts fell to 24,849 in 2025-26 and remains below pre-pandemic levels despite a shortage of skilled workers constraining Scotland’s economy; recognises the need for improved data to better understand the barriers preventing many young people from participating in the labour market, and further recognises the importance of improving mental health services and neurodevelopmental assessment and support in order to enable young people to achieve their potential.” Further details available for S7M-01838.1